Zalgiris, in the absence of its main creator and best perimeter player Nigel Goss, would rely heavily on Jonas Valanciunas from the start. Coach Bartzokas (in something he has done many times in the past) went for multiple help defenses in post-up situations when the Lithuanian superstar received the ball, setting the tone that he didn’t want any shots taken from there. Valanciunas' quality, in the absence of a creator, was enough to keep Zalgiris in the game: in a match decided by a single point, Valanciunas dominated, finishing with +13 (something we leverage, as the difference with him on the court was glaring), creating 7 assists, 5 potential assists, and 4 passes to assists (!). This is one of those times when the public discussion is not exactly right: yes, you don't play drop against Fournier. But for Zalgiris, to be within a point against elite teams, Valanciunas' presence on the court is a necessary and sufficient condition - because his quality and impact cannot be matched. So we have two situations: A correct tactical choice on one side (not executing Valanciunas in the post, shifting Zalgiris’ offense to long-range shots or close-outs). And on the other hand, the opponent's quality to find a solution to this correct tactical choice and be well within the game. Great things again this year in the Euroleague! Tomorrow our analysis, along with today’s matches and of course the game of PAO! #Ζάλγκιρις #Valanciunas #Ευρωλίγκα (translated)
